District Newsletter

[mashmaster]

Ok we need something better to talk about than BSA policies and parents :-)

 

I write a newsletter for our district and am looking for topics to write about.  It goes out to all cub, boy scout, team, and crew parent in our district so anything that reaches those groups would be awesome.  Other than cooking or camping.... :-) 

 

Any ideas?  or better yet, contributions?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

(Topic name changed by a Moderator)

Edited August 5, 2015 by John-in-KC

[desertrat77]

Mash, I salute you, as you have certainly taken on a challenge.   Just my personal experience, it seems that newsletters these days often go unread.   Articles and commentaries must be short and to the point...attention spans are not what they used to be.  

 

The successful ones I've seen focus on people and events in the reader's world.   Photos with captions, stories that talk about an individual's accomplishment and provide some personal background as well, a calendar of events, these thing seem to work.   Cut/pasted news releases and other administrative notes that folks can read elsewhere and otherwise don't impact their immediate world--these seem to make people tune out.  

 

Best wishes.

[T2Eagle]

Why not Camping or Cooking?

 

One idea might be to talk about a recent campout from one of the age groups, especially Cubs, then give all the details necessary for another Pack to tackle it.  If no Packs have camped recently, which is probably true in my area, find a good place for them to camp and lay out a turn-key program for how they could pull the campout off.

 

For Boy Scouts how about a round up of where Troops went last month.  Some of the best discussions I've had with my scouts come from when one of them will see the cover of Boys' Life and say "why can't we do that?"  The answer of course is we can if you're wiling to do the work.  We've never managed the biggest trips we've seen, but we've pushed our program to do smaller versions of them.

[mashmaster]

Ok I should provide more details :-)  I have been producing the newsletter for a year now and it is widely read by leaders in the district I get positive feedback from many of them each month.  Open rate of about 25%.  

 

The first page is always the overview page with the district events for the month and next.  We always include campground reviews, camping recipes, and camp trips with pictures of the units that send them in.  This month I have Philmont, Northern Tier, and summer camp trip reports with pictures.

 

So what I am looking for are articles that are interesting for leaders.  For instance, last month I wrote an article about using UTM coordinates, maps, and GPS units (phones) for leaders to use to teach the boys how to use them.  I have also written articles about how to work with food allergies when planning food for camping.

 

I read the Scouting magazine and always want to read an article that tells me how to teach something to my scouts.  

 

Thank you all for the feedback, I welcome it.

[SSScout]

As the BS RT Commish, I do an email newsletter , I try to make it weekly.  In the "title block"  I include a quote from someone , The Title,   a schedule of RT topics coming up,  a reminder of where the RT is and when, and a link to our Council/District website (which our new webmaster just finished updating and neatening up ). I then mention  training and events coming up, interesting Scouting things I find online and elsewhere, {"STEM in Camp Snyder...") . People send me notice of activities. If timely and of Scout interest, I include them.  The "30"  is a list of our District leadership and their emails and numbers.  I also stick in a "bullet" or two.  My latest  are: "Sco_t  _o_ndtable... What's missing?  RU?"   and "3/5 of SCOUT is OUT"  stuff like that. 

Since this is only an "email" and not a "newsletter" , I try to keep it fairly simple and straightforward.   I have found I can even include some fancier posters and brochures if I am careful to "attach" a small file.  Verizon has a limit to sending attachments.

 

Golly gee, I've even been known to lower my standards enough to include dreck from a website named "scouterdotcom".

[Eagle94-A1]

 "3/5 of SCOUT is OUT" 

 

I prefer these two oldies, but goodies.

 

"OUTING is three-fourths of ScOUTING" and "SCOUTING IS OUTING!"  Both by William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt

[qwazse]

Kids' reports from camp.

If you or your leaders have access to social media posts from scouts and venturers (including camp staff) ...

clip and repost them anonymously.

A resume from your lodge chief and VOA president would nice ...

 

Those kind of things remind leaders about who's important.

 

I think a knot-of-the month might be popular.

 

The "latest and greatest" for the first aid kit might be handy. Or wildneress first aid tips.

 

Excersizes to perpare for high adventure might go over well.

[John-in-KC]

What SSScout said. 

 

BSA has a monthly program theme for each element of the program.  Use that.

 

For Cubs, highlight Sports and Activities program.  For Weebs, highlight a pin.  For Boy Scouts, highlight a merit badge.  For Venturers, highlight a college.

 

If you dovetail those against the Scouting theme...

[mashmaster]

Thanks for the feedback!

[SpEdScouter]

Well in ours we have a "Patrol Leader corner"where the patrol leaders talk about what went good or bad and what they learned. This way if we do the same campouts down the road the next patrol leaders can read the comments and learn from them.

 

I'd also suggest publishing upcoming opportunities to earn merit badges outside your troop or council.

[mashmaster]

Thanks for all the feedback, the newsletter for this month is complete.  I think it is OK.

 

SSScout has a copy of it and can comment if it is good, bad, or otherwise :-)

[SSScout]

"" it is good, bad, or otherwise"".  

 

Wallll, it ain't the way I seen it.     Each Newsletter reflects the editor's  desire and spirit and ...  resources.   Yours is very good, but includes more "instruction" than I would include.  I like the pics of local Scouts doing their thing, but my email will not support that.    I have been told I can be TOO interesting.  A neighboring District has a "Newsletter app" that I have been invited to try, but haven't got around to  yet.   The previous enews flash was a listing of "stuff".   I try to encourage folks to go and find things on their own in googleland.   If they are reading my enews, online, they can easily be referred to the Orienteering Championship Games website for the details and reminders about declination, etc.

 I try to refer folks back to the "official" District webpage for Training dates, schedule, official stuff.  The training and references are good to have and I will suggest that to my colleagues. 

[mashmaster]

"" it is good, bad, or otherwise"".  

 

Wallll, it ain't the way I seen it.     Each Newsletter reflects the editor's  desire and spirit and ...  resources.   Yours is very good, but includes more "instruction" than I would include.  I like the pics of local Scouts doing their thing, but my email will not support that.    I have been told I can be TOO interesting.  A neighboring District has a "Newsletter app" that I have been invited to try, but haven't got around to  yet.   The previous enews flash was a listing of "stuff".   I try to encourage folks to go and find things on their own in googleland.   If they are reading my enews, online, they can easily be referred to the Orienteering Championship Games website for the details and reminders about declination, etc.

 I try to refer folks back to the "official" District webpage for Training dates, schedule, official stuff.  The training and references are good to have and I will suggest that to my colleagues. 

Thumbs up.